K-REDI to host legislative roundatable event in October

Tuesday

Sep 17, 2013 at 4:42 PM

K-REDI also moving into budget season with approval targeted for early October meeting.

Jason Hunsicker @JHunsicker_KDE @jhunsicker_kde

Kirksville-Regional Economic Development will host a Legislative Roundtable event in late October, offering an opportunity for local business and industry leaders to meet with elected officials and representatives from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

The session had been talked about previously at K-REDI meetings, but Director of Economic Development Carolyn Chrisman confirmed an Oct. 28 date during Tuesday's board meeting. The event will begin at 9:30 a.m. with DED representatives explaining new state incentive programs, including those that existing businesses can qualify for by creating or retaining jobs.

Chrisman said Rep. Nate Walker, Rep. Craig Redmon and Sen. Brian Munzlinger will then join at 11 a.m. to meet with business leaders in a question and answer session.

The meeting's location has yet to be determined.

K-REDI is advancing through two end-of-year agenda items - its budget and Chrisman's review - at a quicker pace than usual according to a timeline outlined Tuesday. The budget, which normally isn't finalized until December, could come before the board for a vote in October. Likewise, Chrisman's official review, which is normally conducted in November, will be completed and discussed at the October meeting.

Chrisman will be out of the office for extended time later this year on maternity leave.

Chrisman said K-REDI has received three business leads from the Missouri Partnership, the job lead branch of DED, in the last month. Two leads she was unable to reply to, while the other Chrisman said is still being examined.

One of the two K-REDI could not reply to had requested an existing building that had previously operated as and contained infrastructure to support plastics manufacturing. Chrisman said there has been an increase in such leads in the wake of Wal-Mart's pledge to purchase $50 billion in American made products over the next decade.

Chrisman also reported on her trip last month to Minnesota to meet with businesses seeking to relocate. She said four she spoke to in the fields of manufacturing, distribution, technology and agriculture research and development were promising, although "very preliminary."

Additionally, Chrisman said she was contacted by a wind energy company that has had officials in locations across the region. Chrisman did not say the name of the company, but did verify it was not TradeWinds, the company that had previously sought to build a wind farm in western Adair County.

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